Tent



P 1951 F. c. CRAIGHEAD, JR, ET AL 2,567,697

TENT

6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 21, 1947 INVENTO 6 1 7"" 1'6 JJ/ZIZJ '6, .QQ.

ATTORNEYS Sept. 1951 F. c. CRAIGHEAD, JR, ET AL 2,567,697

TENT

6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 21, 1947 i INVENTORS p 1951 F. c. CRAIGHEAD, JR., ET AL TENT 6 Sheets-SheecB Filed Nov. 21, 1947 INVENTORj 11 J6 /z aa4.

A TTORNEY-i p 1951 F. c. CRAIGHEAD, JR. ET AL 2,567,697

TENT

Filed Nov. 21, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 1-1, 1951 F. C. CRAIGHEAD, JR, ET AL TENT 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 21, 1947 Sept. 11, 195 F. c. CR'AIGHEAD, JR.

TENT

Filed Nov. 21, 1947 ET AL 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS Patented Sept. 11, 1951 Frank C. Craighead, Jr., and John J. Craighead, Moose, Wyo.

Application November 21, 1947,- Serial No. 7 8 7,398

i The present invention relates to tents intended for camping.

1 A purpose of the invention is to reduce th difficulty in manufacture and simplify the de- .-sign'of tents, eliminating all unnecessary weight, and avoiding the necessity of producing and transportingspecial poles and pegs, so that one -man can carry in his pack with other equip- -ment a shelter tent which can be used by special persons.

A further purpose is to render a shelter tent more adaptable to the variations in camp sites andto the different characters of natural attachments available.

A further purpose is to provide a single tent which can alternatively be employed as a paulin, as a canoe cover, as a pack wrap, as a ground 'cloth, and also as a very effective envelope or pocket tent, pup tent, or lean-to shelter.

1. A further purpose is to permit closure in bad weather and adiustability of closure without reducing the possibility of ventilation or heatin :of the interior by a reflector fire outside the tent when the weather conditions are favorable.

1 A further purpose is to permit maximumpro- .tection from the sun of the desert and maxi- :mum camouflage in the desert, on snow and in .country covered with vegetation.

A further purpose is to join side wall porr-tions of a tent to a roof by slide fasteners which not only permit adjustable raising or dropping of the sides, but also permissibly provide guy attachments to the sides at any point which the slider of the slide fastener may be.

A further purpose is to set the two halves of a slide fastener on each side of the tent opposi-tely toward opposite ends of a fold line which makes a rear ground corner of an envelope tent.

A further purpose is to provide a ridge slop- .ingto a maximum at the front, with roof portions on either side of the ridge which in good weather can be staked out in high position to permit easy'standing in the forward section and in bad weather can be dropped to meet at the front, with or without ventilation beneath'the front flaps.

.'A further purpose is to set the half of the slide'fastener attached to the roof portion in under the edge at the side to provide an over- -hang which will deflect moisture. Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

.In the drawings we have chosen to illustrate one only of the numerous embodiments in which spur; invention may appear, with a diversity of;

,parallel sides 2]. and 22 and suitably of rec- ;tangular form, so that the ends 23 and 24 are 3 Claims. (01. 135-1) erection variations, choosing the form shown and the variations in erection from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

.Figure's lzto 8 inclusive are perspectives showwith theside wall portion down and the slide .fasteners open, omitting a portion of the roof. Figure. 11 is a diagrammatic side elevation with the side wall closed, the slide fastener closed and the roof erected. to provide a ridge.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary detailed perspective of an attachment.

Describing in illustration but not in limita- .tion and referring to the drawings:

In the prior art tents have frequently been unduly heavy because of the failure to make use of natural attachments, the lack of adaptability to camp sites, and the provision for interior ,holes and for pegs which mustbe carried along.

Frequently such prior art tents have been capable of erection in only one or a very few forms which may not fit the peculiarities of the climate or the weather. Due to the provision of coverage to an unnecessary extent in certain positions or directions, such prior art tents have fre- -quently been complicated to produce and cumbersome to transport and erect, including frequently-such features as interlocking or interbuttoning sections.

The superiority of the tent of our invention is apparent not only in the simplicity of the in- .vention but particularly in the convenience and adaptability to camp craft, making possible erection in a wide variety of forms, only a few of which are discussed in detail.

The preferred construction will be best un- ,-derstood by reference to Figures 9 to 12, inclusive.

The tent of the present invention will suitably comprise a fabric sheet 20 having generally likewise generally parallel when the tent is spread out flat as shown in Figure 9.

Generally parallel to the ends 23 and 24, and closer to the end 23 than to the end 24, a fold line 25 extends across the tent, dividing the same pinto afloor portion 26 and a roof portion 21.

3[ extending preferably from the end 23 to the fold line 25, and also a half 32 extending from the fold line an equal distance toward the end 24. The opening direction of the two halves of the slide fasteners is opposite and the slide fastener is open when the tent is stretched out fiat as in Figure 9, but the opening directions are the same when the floor portion 26 is folded back on the roof portion, so that by closing the slide fasteners, an envelope or pocket is formed as later described. The slider 33 of each slide fastener is provided with a suitable loop so that it can be tied open or closed or engaged by a guy as desired.

The fold line 25 is provided with plurality of attachments for staking down or for connections. As shown there is, a center attachment 34, two outlying attachments 35 and 36 near to but spaced from the sides andtwo 'slde attachments 31 and 38 near to the edges. It is important to note that-the tent .;of:.the present --invention will preferably be reversible for reasons :later explained, and accordingly Figure .:9 :represents a view-of either the top orthe bottom which are alike, there -:being. attachments -34 to 38, inclusive, on both-.faces-of thefabric :atthe same points.

Spaced from one anotherand-from .thesldes and toward thelend24 with respect tothe fold line, attachments. 40 and .4! are provided, also located in corresponding positions on both faces .of the. fabric. *It -will:beevident that the attach- =mentsMl and are located on the :roof portion preferably only .a short distance :above the fold :line- 25.

Immediately at the sides and at aconvenient point preferably near the middle of the slide fastener halves 32 are providedsattachmentsv 42 and 43 which are usefulwhen using the device terably duplicated like the other .attachments on'=both faces of the fabric.

The outer corners of the front are suitably sequippedwith attachments 45 and :461which'may or-may not be duplicated :on' the two faces and :willfbeused .to hold.:the roof out-or to :pull the -f'ront'fiaps down. Located at inter-mediate points between the .attachmentssdd and. 45--and:.the attachments '44 and 46 respectively are attachments .4! and 48 which aresparticularly useful when closing the front flaps.

.-At;.the end 123a similar arrangement is pro- I yided for staking .down the floor in an envelope ..-or pocket tent and'for attaching .the ends in .-,-a :pup tent or. the .like. is provided, :and outlying attachments and A center attachment-50 52, conveniently duplicated-or available on both faces along withcornerattachments 53 and 54. The attachments maybe of any suitable type,

'the preferred form being a loop 55, as shown ;in 'Figure :12, but grommets 4'!v and- 48, as shown iniiFigure 9, are also suitable inmany instances. 'r'llhe deviceof the invention is believed to; have fJitS,WidSt1LlSe as an envelope or pocket-tent for which purpose the floonportionrZB is folded back under aboutthe fold line-25 as sbest seen ointFligures l, 2, :3, 4,15,: and 11.

.A typical form of tent erection for :windy weatheris shown in Figure 1, :based upon a suitable polei'56 to holdthe ridge .at the front,

- preferably a :pole obtained 'by cutting off the limb of a tree, or trimming the branches from a sapling. The pole may have a guy support at 51, and is connected by a rope 58 to the ridge attachment 44 at the center of the roof of the tent.

The fold line 25 is suitably staked down at the back as by stakes 60, BI and 62 (Figure 5) both secured to the attachments 34, 35 and 36 respectively, conveniently omitting attachment at the extreme corners of the fold line so that the tent will draw in and form auxiliary corner pockets in which clothing and the like may be ;kept. One of the auxiliary pockets may be seen at 63 in Figure l. The back is raised and the roof is bulged by -guys B4 and 65 suitably connected to limbs or stakes and attached to the attachmentsdfl and 4! respectively.

It will thus be seen in Figure 5 that a back .66 is created extending between the fold line 25 and a line 61 across the roof between the attachments 4,0 and 14], creating ample head room well back in the tent for sitting. The o f then end o form three section a rear s tion 68 .of enera ytri n ular form a best s en in ,Ff sure ;5 and two .-fr ont sections :10 :an H. The front sections in open positions are :he by uy t the-corner 'lihesuy 7:12v inxFi ure onnects to th a tachmentfi and holds t e fr nt flap ,lll lup, but thesuy :13 connects to the attachment 46 to pull the front flap :l; l down to protect against wind, or ,driying-a'ain or $1 5- sA- fih wn i Eigu elthe fioorjportion at either side of the attachment 5| andz52 is pulled upeto form side wallportions 13.4 and liwhich join the ,bottoms of the roof sections 10;.a-ndll due to .the closing of the ,slide fafiteners -.28 land :30. The ,sliders .133 on;the; slide fasteners are connected by guys 16 and 11 1120 suitable stakes .or the like which ttend to ,pull .outgtheside wall portions as shown and vfurtherextend .the 'roof sections 10 and ll.

In {the form of Figured the .tenterection is similar ;to that ,of Figure 11 ,except that both front fiapsarefully open. 'I'-1f1e,. guy::l'3 holds the front f ap] 1 D t -.-a;=polef.13'. The ridge-.issteeper-in this formyvith almore pronounced fold :line :18 at the side toward the backlto :formsections (8'0 he c rn s.

Figures 1 and f;2il1nstrate.=one .or both: of the roof scc ians I: an :11 i-raisedsandopen. :In very .bad weather both 101 these sections .areafolded down a ont flaps .as shown in Figure .3 land Suitably ed: together if zdesiredaat the attack:- i fil -$51. 1; and :1 4,5. -,A;lac er:8|;:is shown in i ured i he tn5 Qn;.on :the-ivariousguys :-is ma aine 36 51 38 tw ll ;he 3 bottom front =open wing 84 below ih LL QR L- fiaPS inland -1 pr vidi-ng-venti1ationandaccess elfweathenof greater severity occurs, 111 .13 .i d ys may :be :relaxed .as shown in Figure .4 so.;,as-to.permi-tvthe.ibottom edges 85 of the front fiaps 310. and ll to engage the flou .f 1:, 1h 1fl0or ma tian-26 an d 5.001111118128- y 0 th .l ttom. n this case the attachm s 1.4. ha e been 1a ed. to;the ridge Dolezfifi In ,thefprm 0f Figures 1,1;2,and 3-.-the.attachgnents -5 and;52 at the front/lot thezfioorportions a t ed d wn as sho.wn1 a d -a ds!!! injFigur but in the formeofsr Figuresri the sidewallsec- "ltiQnS J14 and-15 themselves lie along theground and the attachments 53 ands-.514 eat the extreme .corners of thefront-of the zbottom-portion-are :heldbytie-downs -and'9 I.

Themear construction gin the. form of Figures .5 i-to' 3 is shown in Figure 5, and the difference will be very slight in Figure 4.

' Where it is not desired to have side protection, the slide fasteners maybe open as shownin Figure 6, attaching the corner attachments 90 and ii onthe' floor portion far out atthe sides as in Figure 4, but otherwise drawing the tent taut and raising and spreading front roofisections l and H as shown.

In all of the forms thu far discussed a pocket 92' extends fully across the back of thev tent formed by the reverse bend at the fold line-25. If preferred, however, the tent can be erectedas a pup tent as shown in Figure 7, where the arrangement of the front is similar to that of Figure 1, but the rear is spread out and supported by a guy 93 to attachment 34 and pulling upward and guys 94 on each side to attachments 42 and 43 pulling to each side. The edge 23 is staked by stakes 95 as shown and guys 96 are carried to attachments 31 and 38 pulling toward the rear.

In operation the tent of the present invention may be transported to the camp site as a wrap or covering on a packor bedding roll, as a component of the pack, or as a paulin or canoe cover or the like. At the camp site it may be used as a ground cloth to permitthe marshalling of .the equipment prior to the erection of the tent, as shown in Figure 8 in which the corners are staked out by pegs 91 as shown. The use as a ground cloth as shown in Figure 8 may likewise be made in good weather in which a tent as such is not required.

During the transportation of the tent to the camp site, the extreme lightness of the tent will be of great benefit, since the tent is effectively a one man tent,'in that it can be carried on a protracted camping trip by one man along with his food and equipment, while on the other hand it can accommodate several men for sleeping purposes or be combined and used in conjunction with other similar tents to provide more ample quarters. While the tent may be made effectively from waterproof muslin or light weight canvas it is preferable, particularly from the standpoint of lightness, to use waterproof linear polyamide. While tie ropes and guys may, of course, be made of hemp, jute or the like, they will preferably be made of linear polyamide, which shows much less tendency to tangle.

The extreme lightness is a distinct advantage over the well known two man mountain tent, which is too heavy for effective transportation by one man. A two man tent according to the present invention can be made to weigh less I than five pounds and to fold easily into a volume of less than 0.3 cubic feet.

The design of the tent is such that transportation of pegs and poles is not necessary. No precise length or contour of pole is required as in many army tents and in the two man mountain tent, and the stress on the various guys is so well divided that crude pegs or rocks secured at the camp site can be used without any need for transporting special pegs.

In pitching the tent as an envelope tent, at site is selected for the floor, the slide fasteners are closed along both sides and the floor is spread out, stretched and staked down at the front and back. The front middle guy line is then pulled to form the roof ridge and temporarily affixed to a suitable pole or tree. The two back ties that form the back wall of the envelope are then pulled out to the desired shape and tied. After this is done the front ridge guy is pulled tight and tied securely. Next the guy attachments to the corners of the fioor portion at the ends of the slide fasteners are attached to stakes to form the side walls of the envelope. Lastly the guys to the two forward corners of the roof are secured, either to pull the two forward corners up horizontally as shown, for example, in Figure 6, or dropped to stakes or to the ridge pole close to the ground'as shown, for example in Figures 3 and 4.

If preferred these front flaps can be allowed to drop free or folded back over the roof. Of course, due consideration can be given to the direction from which weather may be coming or may be expected, by staking down one side and leaving the other up as in Figure 1, or back or free as desired. When the slide fastener is closed one end of the guy rope attached to the corner of the floor portion will preferably be tied to the slider of the slide fastener to prevent it from opening. Or, if desired, guy attachment may be made at any posi-- tion to the slider of the slide fastener.

The tent of the present invention is quite adaptable to camp craft and fits the existing topography. Instead of pitching it as an envelope or pocket tent it may also be pitched as a lean-to as indicated in Figure 7. Experimental use of the tent of the present in-' vention in winter and cold weather camping have indicated much greater adaptability as compared with the two man mountain tent. Fabric is preferably coated on one side with a waterproof white layer such as rubber or synthetic rubber and on the opposite side with a similar layer which assists in camoufiaging in the presence of vegetation, suitably green. With the envelope tent erected with the white layer inside, a reflector fire in front materially raises the interior temperature. In extensive experiments it has been found that the effectiveness of the fire is greatly increased by reflection from the white interior sothat even a small fire will produce enough reflection so that reading and writing at night in the tent become a pleasure. When camping on snow, with a snow temperature of 30 F., a small reflector fire just beyond the forward edge of the roof raises the temperature at the forward edge of the floor portion in the envelope tent to F. and at the back of the tent to 50 F. On the other hand when fuel is not available, the front flaps can be pulled down and the quiet air inside aids in retaining the warmth of the body of the user.

The tent is readily reversible and can be erected with the white side out to reflect the suns heat when the weather is warm. In such cases the slide fasteners will usually be open.

The forward section provides ample space to stand up, sit down or move about. This completely eliminates the cramped conditions of small tents and gives the advantages of large tents without great weight or size. This has been found in experiments to be especially advantageous in rainy weather and as an aid to dressing and performing the tasks required of scientists and professional explorers. No tendency has been noted in the present tent to produce claustrophobic. which may be caused in closed tents. The thoroughness of the ventilation will be appreciated when it is recognized that no tendency has been noted to cause condensation or frost on the inside in cold weather notwithstanding that the fabric is water impenetrable.

The tent of the invention can readily be equipped with mosquito protection. At the exense of ventilation, mosquito protection is aco'mplished in Figure 4, but without lossofventi lation; .This can be accomplished in the form of Figure 3 by snapping on a mosquito curtain or mosquito bar 98, using snap fasteners not shown. In the same manner mosquito coverings may be adapted to any of the other forms to cover the open end. of the tent.

Notwithstanding the great advantages, therdevice may be produced verylcheaply due to the extreme simplicity of the construction.

In View of our invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others; skilled in the art, to obtain all orpart of. the benefits of our invention. without copying the struetureshown, and we; therefore claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spiritand scope of our claims. v

Having, thus described. our invention,- what we claim. as new and desire to, secure by Letters Patent is: 2 1. A tent. having a told line along its rear ground edge, a floor portion extending fOIVVEI'd-r ly over the ground from the fold line and having at each edge an upwardly extending side wall portion united to the floor portion a back rising above the folddline, a roof having a ridge extending to a maximum height at the front and rising gradually from the top of the back, slide fasteners for uniting and disconnecting the tops of the side wall portions to the sides of the roof over the lengths of the side wallportions, guy supports for the center of the roof at the: front, for thetop of the back at the rear, and for the '59?- 9f the side wall portions, and tie-downs for the; fold line. v V I 2. A tent havin a fold line along its rear ground edge,- a floor portionextending forwardl over the ground from the fold line and having at each edge upwardly extending side-Wall portions united tothe floor portion, a back rising above: the foldline, a roof having a ridge extendingto a maximum heightat the front and rising gradually from the top of the. back slide fasteners for uniting and disconnecting the tops of the side wali portions to the sides. of the: roof over the distance forward of the sidewall portions; front flaps closed and folding along the lines between the high P int of the ridge at the front and the fronts of the side wall portions; guy supports for the top of the ridge at the front; the fronts of the side wall portions, and the top o'f theba'ck at the rear; and tie-downs for the fold line.

3. A tent having afo'ld line along its rear ground edge, a floozaportion extending forwardly over the ground from the fold line and have ing at each edge an upwardly extendingside wall portion united to the floor portion, a back rising above the fold line, a roof having a ridge extending to a maximum height at the front and rising gradually from the top of the back,- slide fasteners for uniting and disconnecting the tops of the side wall portions to the sides of the roof over the distance forward of the side wall portions, front flaps closed and folding along the lines between the high point of the ridge at the front and the fronts of the side wall portions; guy supports for the top of the ridge at the front, the fronts of the side wall portions,- and the topof the back at the rear, and tie-downs for the fold line, the front flaps terminating on a level with the tops of the side wall portions.

C. CRAIGHEAD; JR; JOHN J. CRAIG'HEA-D.

REFERENCES CITED V The following referencesare of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

